When a maiden cried from the valley below
by isabella.armishaw
Summary: Ever wondered why Mayor Prentiss hated women? What started him on his killing spree? Or what Todd lullaby is about? Find out in this Fanfic. The back story to everything. David Prentiss has recently become Mayor of what's now called Prentiss town. He never wanted to be a part of a dying town, let alone run it. Just when his life is at an all time low, a girl appears at his door.


_**Original (if you want to see the fonts ect.) : #/d57y3a6**_

_**Early one morning,**_

_**Just as the sun was rising,**_

_**I heard a maiden call from the valley below.**_

_**Oh, don**__**'**__**t deceive me,**_

_**Oh, never leave me,**_

_**How could you use a poor maiden so?**_

Chapter 1

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

David Prentiss pulled himself from his bed and reluctantly opened the door. The last thing he wanted was another person congratulating him on becoming the Mayor of this God forsaken town. He never wanted to a Mayor of a town which was dying, a town that had little hope, a town that was now called Prentiss town.

When he opened the door, he took a step back, for he couldn't believe his eyes. There, stood before him, was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had long, golden locks that fell all the way down to her hips. Her eyes were a soft blue, like the sky on a sunny day and her lips, oh, her lips were a delicate soft pink and were inviting him, making him want to- he stopped embarrassed that she might hear his noise.

"Good day sir, I'm the maid you ordered." She uttered.

"Oh, yes come in. Um do you want me to show you around?" He replied as his belly rumbles noisily.

"If you show me where the kitchen is I could get to work straight away, and cook you a nice hot meal."

"That would be just what the doctor ordered." He watched her walk off, hips swaying and hair bouncing as she went. Suddenly she stopped and asked "Sir?"

"Please call me David, and what may I call you?" He replied.

"Lightheart, Rose Lightheart." She stopped almost as if she was uncomfortable with calling him by his first name.

"David, where's the kitchen?"

He smiled and replied "It's just down the hall to your left."

Once she had left the room David panicked, what if she had heard him thinking about how beautiful she was? His noise was getting louder every day. What if she heard how much he liked her? What if she had heard previous bad thoughts about him around the town? What secrets did she know about him? What if she could even hear him now? The frustration of not being able to hear her noise was getting to him. The safest option he decided was to stop thinking about it and to cover it up with other thoughts.

Chapter 2

Only a few minutes later dinner was ready. David sat at his large dinner table, and stared at all the empty seats. He had never had anyone around, and it got quite lonely living in such a big house all on his own. He knew he was going to enjoy the company of Rose. Why were the seats always empty though? Was it the fact that he never invited anyone or the idea that no one wanted to come for dinner?

"Dinner is served," announced Rose as she placed a rather delectable looking roast dinner in front of him."I'll go get you some water."

"Rose?" David said rather urgently.

"Yes?"

"Once you've got the water, would you care to join me?"

"If you would like me to Sir."

She swiftly left the room and couldn't help but smile as she went.

As she rentered the room, holding a jug of water for the two of them, she smiles and said, "I hope you enjoy the meal it's…"

All of a sudden,her foot slipped on the rug and she came crashing towards the ground. The water splashed all over David but he didn't care. He was already rushing towards Rose.

"Are you ok?" he inquired, whilst he was helping her up.

"Yes I'm fine. Oh, look what I've done. You're soaking!"

"It's fine, really" he relpied.

"No, no it's not. You're drenched and it's my first day at work and…"

"Rose it's fine." He said in a calming voice. "I'm not mad, accidents happen. Now just relax."

She paused for a moment, considering whether or not to take his word. David wasn't as wet as wet as she made out but he was still pretty soaked. His shirt had all pulled tight against his bare chest so that you could see his toned muscles and his trousers were clinging too. He started shiver slightly.

"I think you ought to at least get changed. I'll bring you some towels and we can enjoy the meal in front of the fire."

"That sounds great."

She hurried off to the bathroom, and collected the towels. They were surprisingly warm so she thought she'd give them straight to him. She opened the bedroom door just a crack. David was standing there with no clothes to be seen anywhere. She could see a dark red scar that cut across his body, below his belly button below and.. She turned her back against the door. She shouldn't have seen that. With the force of her body turned against the door, it slammed shut. David heard the door close and quickly put on his silver silk dressing gown and opened the door.

He stared.

"Um, I brought you some towels."

"Thanks." He could see in her eyes something was wrong. That she had done something wrong and he wished again that he could read her noise like the men in the town.

"Rose, really don't worry about the water."

"No it's not that."

David raised one eyebrow - questioning what it might be.

She just stared into his eyes silently.

"Well are you going to tell me?" he demanded. He stared at her, examining her. Although her face remained emotionless, he could see by her body language that she was cold. He thought - how he longed to wrap his arms around her to keep her warm, to protect her at all costs….he stopped thinking as he noticed her cheeks flush.

What had he done? She must have heard that. She- she was leaning in. Closer. Closer. Until her warm lips pressed against his. Pushing harder, faster, wanting more. He gave her what she wanted. He pulled her inside the room, never letting go of her lips, and closed the door.

Chapter 3

The next morning, Rose received some pressing news. Her mother was ill, very ill and she only had a short time left to live.

"I have to go." Rose said, already putting on her coat and shoes as she blinked back the tears.

"But, you can't go. We've only been together for one night."

"But we can be together for more nights, but my mother and I only have now."

David knew this was true and that he would probably do the same if he was in her position.

"How long will you be gone for?" he asked.

"A while, Farbranch is a day's ride away." Rose muttered.

I don't want her to go he thought.

"I know, but I promise you as soon as she gets better I'll come straight back to you."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then you'll have to wait." Rose closed the door, she didn't want leave David like this but she feared that every minute she spent with him, was another minute she was missing with her mother.

Her mother lived all the way in Farbranch and she would have to hurry if she was going to get there before dark.

David waited and waited, not knowing what to do. He spent hours just sitting in his armchair, with a bottle of vodka in his hand. Aaron often came to his house and prayed for Rose's mother, but Rose did not come back early. With all these free moments David had time to think. Time to think about what he was going to do to run this God forsaken town- how he could make it rise out of the ashes but nothing came to mind. The men's noise was getting out of control.

Every day he would write a letter, or at least a part of a letter. It exhausted him, like a roller coaster of emotions. As soon as he sat down to write something, his whole body froze unable to do anything. Instead he drank a half a bottle of whiskey, and then the words came..

Dear Rose,

I miss you sincerely lots unconditionally and I just wish you were here by my side. Although you are not here I think about you every minute second. I just want you to know I'm not ever going to leave you, not even in my head. I hope that your mother is well, and give her my best regards. I need you rose more than you could ever know. Can we get together some time? I really want to see you, and I would like to meet your mother to. Please write back. I will be waiting for your reply,

David

It was four months before he got a reply.

Dear David,

I miss you too, but we cannot meet yet. There's something I wish to tell you. Mother is still sick, but she tries to keep her spirits up and she says hello.

Yours sincerely,

Rose.

Not only was the letter brief, but David felt it had no feeling. Not even a word saying how she loved him. What is wrong with her? David decided it must be from all the stress she'd been having.

Chapter 4

Six months passed, David heard a knock on the door and rose to open it. There standing drenched in the rain was Rose. But this was a completely different person to the young girl who had knocked on his door ten months ago. She was wet, but not just from the rain. She was crying, and looked like she had been crying for the whole journey. Her eyes were blood shot and lined with red, and looked bruised. Her golden hair had not been brushed and even in the rain David could see that it hadn't been washed in days.

"Rose?" David asked pitifully.

She didn't answer she just cried more heavily.

"Look at you, you're soaked, now come on in before you catch a cold."

She did what she was told still not making a sound. Davy changed her, bathed her and brushed her hair. He wrapped her in warm pyjamas and sat her in front of the fire, with a hot cup of tea in her hand. It was a long time until she spoke.

"She's gone." she murmured.

"I know." David said softly. They both stared into the fire. It was a while before Rose spoke again.

"I have to go."

"Go?"

She had been gone for ten months and now she was going to go again. Sure her house was just down the road, but still?

"I need some time alone."

"I know." murmured David

Chapter** 5**

_**Early the next morning,**__** just**__** as the sun was rising**___

Aaron came. "You must be so happy that Rose is here."

"Wait, how do you know? She only arrived late last night."

"David, she's been here for weeks." Aaron replied.

"I don't believe you."

"She's been coming to my church every day, praying."

"A week?"

"A week." Aaron confirmed.

David shot out of his chair and stomped out of the room and slammed the door. He was furious he felt his noise boil red. Why had she not told him she was here? What had she done for the ten months that she was gone for? Anything could have happened. Also she had never actually told him that she loved him, and he'd never know her true feelings because she had no noise. No God damn noise. If she did have noise he wouldn't be in this situation. But no, she's just an empty space of silence. He wished she would be his, only his.

He knew where she lived; she was the daughter of the only miller in town. Her parents moved the Farbranch because 'that's where the money is.' So Rose had the place all to herself.

He opened the door to the mill, welcomed by the sound of cogs and machinery. Although the actual mill part was in the corner of the room you could still hear it clanking away. He was ready to shout at her, ready to ask what had been happening, but when he saw her beautiful innocent face he knew there was only one thing he could ask her-

"Run away with me."

"What? David what are you doing here? I told you."

"Run away with me Rose, let's leave this place with all it's noise and chaos." David pleaded

"Why?"  
"Why not?" he retorted, and she could see in his eyes how much he wanted this, how much he needed this, but it only made her angry.

"Because we can't, we just simply can't" she replied.

"_**Oh, don**__**'**__**t deceive me**__**,**_Rose."

"_**Oh never leave me**_, never leave this town."

Rose responded. " But they gave you the honour of-"

"I NEVER WANTED THE HONOUR!" David screeched from the top of his lungs as he stepped forward toward Rose, who was now scrambling back.

"I never even wanted to come to this planet."

He was still proceeding towards her throwing his arms wildly.

"I never wanted to have all of my thought heard."

He could see that she was scared, but that didn't to stop him.

"I never wanted to run a dying town."

Without realising he had cornered her at the back of the room now. She could no longer hear his noise above the sound of the machinery pounding below. She had nowhere to run.

"And I certainly never wanted you to come along and ruin my life!" he shouted in her face.

She stepped back-

Startled-

And began falling-

Falling towards the cogs-

Falling-

Falling towards the machinery-

Falling into-

Falling into the mill-

And he could see-

He could see in her eyes-

She was scared-

She was terrified-

Of him-

Of the monster that he had become-

And she's looking at him-

Her eyes still saying how much she loves him-

She doesn't need noise to tell him how much she loves him-

And she's looking at him-

As her body falls into the machine.

_**Why would you use a poor maiden so?**_

Chapter 6

There was a loud crunching noise and David looked away, what had he done? What did he do? He collapsed onto the floor, almost as if he was falling too. But not into the mill - into darkness. The whole world felt as if it was collapsing on top of him and there was no escape, no escape from what he had done. Every time he closed his eyes he could see her falling, and every time he opened them he could see blood surrounding him. There was blood on his hands, blood that would not come off and would never come off. He just lay there, for hours, minutes, seconds, who knows? His noise was silent.

A cry broke through the trance. A cry that sounded just as devastated as he was. A cry that needed somebody. He opened his eyes and looked around, the cry was coming from the room next to him and he mustered all of his strength and got up.

He stood there feeling dizzy for a while as he grabbed the wall tightly. He lumbered toward the door and swung it open. There, lying on the bed, crying was a baby. He peered at the baby and lifted him into his arms. The baby stopped crying and looked up at him. He had his mother's bright blue eyes and when David looked into them it almost felt as if she was there looking back telling him that everything was going to be alright.

David knew this child was his. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew. He gently stroked the fine black hair from his eyes and somehow it felt as if they were joined in a circle, as if his life was complete. Like the baby was his circle. He held his child above him so that their eyes met and he said,

"I am the circle and the circle is me."


End file.
